Betsy Russell Biography
Summary
"Betsy Russell" (born September 6, 1963) is an American actress who is best remembered for her roles in several 1980s B movies, and for the role of Jill Tuck, the ex-wife of the sociopathic Jigsaw in the "Saw" film series.
Early years
Russell was born in San Diego, California, daughter of Richard Russell, a stock analyst, and granddaughter of journalist and educator Max Lerner. She began acting in school projects while high school in San Diego, and won the role in a Pepsi commercial that was taped locally while in high school.
After graduating from Mission Bay High School in 1981, she moved to Los Angeles and began taking acting classes and waitress jobs before she her first role.
Career
Betsy Russell's first role was in the 1982 film "Let's Do It!". That same year, she landed roles on "T.J. Hooker" and "Family Ties".
In 1983, Russell's breakout role came as Phoebe Cates' rival in the sex comedy, "Private School". She went on to star in a series of B movies in the 1980s including "Tomboy", "Avenging Angel", and "Cheerleader Camp". In addition to films, Russell also appeared on "The A-Team", "Murder, She Wrote", "1st & Ten", and "Superboy".
After a brief retirement from acting, Russell reappeared in the "Saw" film series in 2006 and 2007 as John Kramer's ex-wife, Jill Tuck. She will reprise her role in the upcoming "Saw V".
Personal life
In 1989, Russell married actor Vincent Van Patten, son of actor Dick Van Patten. The couple had two children before divorcing in 2005.
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Betsy Russell.
